Purdue's Charlie Jones, Payne Durham, Cory Trice opt out of Citrus Bowl vs LSU

According to a report by Pete Thamel, Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell will declare for the NFL Draft and opt out of the Citrus Bowl. He’s not alone, though, as three more Boilermakers are opting out of the Citrus Bowl against LSU.

Those three players are wide receiver Charlie Jones, tight end Payne Durham, and Cornerback Cory Trice, per Adam Rittenberg.

Payne Durham made the announcement himself on Instagram.

Payne Durham announces on Instagram he is skipping Citrus Bowl. pic.twitter.com/S39Zni9MVy

— Tom Dienhart (@TomDienhart1) December 15, 2022

Along with the loss of head coach Jeff Brohm, who left to coach Louisville, Purdue is going to be extremely short-handed against LSU. The Tigers, who some thought could make a run at the College Football Playoff if they hadn’t lost to Texas A&M and in the SEC Championship Game, are going to be a difficult team to beat, even without these extra challenges.

This has been an excellent season for Purdue. At 8-5, the Boilermakers won the Big Ten West. It was the best season that Brohm had while with the Boilermakers. It’s also the first time Purdue had a real shot at winning the Big Ten since 2000 when Drew Brees led them to the Big Ten Championship and the Rose Bowl.

This season, Jones has 12 touchdowns and 1,361 yards receiving. Durham, meanwhile, had eight touchdowns and 560 yards as a tight end. On the defensive side of the ball, Trice had two interceptions on the season.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event location this year is the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft broadcast runs throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. One hundred underclassmen gained approval for last year’s draft. Seventy-three of those 100 underclassmen received special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL scouting combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.